Chinese for Affirmative Action debuts Our Intergenerational Stories: home, an exhibit featuring the personal narratives of 7 working-class Chinese immigrant families on Sunday, July 7, at 41 Ross. CAA partnered with San Francisco Arts Commission, Chinese Culture Center, and community artists. The exhibit will be installed until the end of the month, on Wednesday, July 31.
MLin and Vida Kuang, partner artists on the project, joined Chinatown’s grassroots parent leaders at the opening reception. Parent leaders described their journey as community leaders stories behind their resiliency through community art, and built unity among differently impacted communities in the current political climate. Many spoke to the experience of learning to document their lived experiences in photos and oral narratives. Beyond just the gallery walls, they hope their stories will raise awareness and build support for immigrant rights and resources.
The opening was attended by friends and families of the artists, community supporters with a program celebrating the incredible achievement of the parent leaders and artists. In addition, Chinese language media outlets Xinhua, Singtao Daily, and World Journal covered the gallery opening in their respective publications.
Since February, Chinese community leaders and their children learned the ins-and-outs of photography and storytelling to capture their own lives as immigrants living in SROs in San Francisco Chinatown. This workshop series hosted by CAA culminated in the exhibit showcasing community artwork. It features oral histories and photography of immigrant families, inspired by intergenerational dialogue and personal narratives dealing with housing, education, community organizing, and dreams for their future.
